After nearly three years of hiatus due to the pandemic, Ho Chi Minh City officially welcomed its first international tourist group on the luxury cruise ship Le Laperouse of Ponant (France) on the morning of October 2.
Le Laperouse is a luxury cruise ship with luxurious and modern design, which set off to Vietnam from Indonesia, via Singapore.
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International tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City on the luxury cruise ship Le Laperouse of Ponant (France) on the morning of October 2. |
The cruise's last visit was in mid-November 2019. During this return visit to Vietnam, the ship carried nearly 100 passengers from many countries around the world, including the US, France, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Saigon Port Joint Stock Company in collaboration with the Department of Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City and some units held a ceremony to welcome the luxury cruise ship.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism Le Truong Hien Hoa said that that was the first cruise tourist group to come to Ho Chi Minh City after the tourism industry officially opened to international visitors after the Covid-19 pandemic in March this year. Travel agencies had prepared for a long time to welcome that group of tourists.
Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry is expected to receive a several large cruise ships carrying 200-300 guests to visit the city from now until the end of the year.
The return of cruise tourists is a good sign. The Ho Chi Minh City tourism industry also identifies cruise tourists as an important and potential source of visitors. With different customer segments, the tourism industry has prepared a series of suitable products to serve visitors with the goal to ensure the safety and satisfaction of tourists when coming to Ho Chi Minh City, Le Truong Hien Hoa said.
During its three-day stay in Ho Chi Minh City, the delegation will visit some famous destinations in the city centre such as Thong Nhat (Reunification) Conference Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, and enjoy night food on Saigon River.
After that, the visitors will continue to visit and explore Vietnam at some other destinations such as Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Hue, Quang Binh and Ha Long.
Le Lapérouse is 132m long, 18m wide, and 28m high. It was put into use in 2018 to serve in the high-end segment with a maximum of 184 guests per voyage.
Source: NDO
